Apparatus for filling gas cylinders under heavy pressure



April 20, 1954 NURKIEWICZ APPARATUS FoR FILLING GAS CYLINDERS UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE Filed Dec. 24. 1949 BY Q7 fidi? Patented Apr. Z0, 1954 APPARATUS FOR FILLING GAS CYLINDERS UNDER HEAVY PRESSURE Ignatius Nurkiewicz, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Stop-Fire, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 24, 1949, Serial N o. 134,975

d Claims. (Cl. Z22-5) This invention relates to an apparatus for iilling a gas cylinder under heavy pressure from a source of supply and for insuring at all times a leakprooi joint.

For many purposes relatively small cylinders of gas under heavy pressure are used commercially, either as a propellantl in iire extinguishers or for soda water fountains or for such uses as cutting and welding. Because of the heavy gas pressures required to secure a suiicient volume of gas in the cylinder, such cylinders are customarily closed by a metallic sealing disc, which retains the gas in place, but which can be punctured when the gas is to be used.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device in which a container of the character described may be lled from a source of gas supply, such as a large receptacle, and thereafter may be closed by a sealing disc without leakage during the illling operation.

It is a further object to provide a connector for closing such a container, which will permit the introduction of the gas and the sealing ofit with a closing disc after it is filled and which at the same time will provide a mechanism for puncturing the sealing disc when it is desired to use the gas.

The invention accordingly comprises an apparatos possessing the features, properties and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the apparatus hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims. V

a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which: f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mechanism embodying this invention;

2 is a side epilation withthe @entrai parts' ci the device in section; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the center of the mechanism. Fig. 4 is a modification.

In the drawings, the numeral it indicates a stand on which the container H which is to'be filled rests in an upright position. This stand may take the form of a spring balance, having an indicating hand l2 to weigh the quantity of gas which is inserted in the cylinder. y

The container l is impervious except atV its upper end, which is closed by ay hollow stud I3 tightly screwed into it. This stud may have a hexagon body I4, above which the stud i3 is reduced in Siae and threaded, as shown at i5, and

above the threaded portion is a cylindrical portion I circumierentially grooved to receive a packing ring, as shown at il. Over the threaded end the cylindrical portion l5 of the stud it is fitted a head i8 having female threads i@ to engage the threaded portion It and having above this thread a cylindrical portion 223 parallel to and closely mating with the cylindrical portion i5 of the stud I3 in a position to be tightly engaged by the packing ring il.

The head it has an interior shoulder 2i forming a recess to receive a sealing disc 36, hereafter described. This recess is in alignment with the upper end of the stud I3. The head I8 terminates at its upper end as a threaded hollow stud 22 in which there slides a nippie 23, carrying a hollow sharp piercing tool 24. This nipple 23 has a I'iange 2t closely fitting Within a cylindrical portion 2t in the head I8. This flange is in position to engage a shoulder 25a at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 26.

The nipple 23 has a circumferential recess 2l positioned to receive a plastic washer 23 which extends out over the end of the stud 22, so that the nipple is held against upward movement by the rlange 25 and against downward movement by the resilient washer 28.

A cap or hose coupling 2t has a socket at its lower end having a thread which screws on to the stud 22, and this socket terminates in a shoulder it in position to bear against the top of the nipple 23. The body of this cap may be hexagonal, as shown at 3i, so that it may 'oe screwed on to or oit of the coupling 23. With this construction, the nipple 23 may be lcaused to slide in head it by screwing the coupling 29 downwardly to compress the washer 28.

A sealing disc 3s having the usual soft rim 3l is iitted withinrthe cylindrical portion oi' the head it tightly against the shoulder t! in such a manner, that it the head iii is screwed on to the stud i3 tightly, the rim 3l will be tightly clamped between the shoulder 2l and the top of the stud i3, whereas if the head iii is turned oir" oi the stud, space will be leit between the rim 3l and the top oi the stud i3 to giveaccess into the interior of the container under the disc.

rhe head 5S is provided with a port on one side, as shown at at a point substantialiy opposite the top oi the stud ES and surrounding the opening 38 upon the exterior face of the head within the cylindrical groove 39.

Surrounding the head i8 and detachably conn nected to it is a connector vtraine t2, having an 3 opening 33 to fit over the head I8 and provided with screws 34 and 35 screwed into it on the opposite sides. One of these screws 34 holds the frame in place upon the head, as will be described, and the other screw 35 controls the inuX of gas.

The frame 32 has an inwardly extending stud t!! in alignment with the screw 35 having a teat projecting outwardly, as shown at 4I, adapted to enter the port 38 previously described. This teat is surrounded by a circular rim 42 adapted to enter the groove 39. When the frame is in place upon the head, the screw 34 is used to force the stud 40 into tight gas-pressed engagement with the side of the head I8.

The head I8 is provided with a lateral port 38, at a point substantially opposite the 'top of the stud. This port leads through the cylinder surface 2D, and is adapted to be connected with a port 45 in a connector frame hereafter to be described and through this port gas may be charged into the cylinder I I.

The screw 35 is screwed into a threaded cylindrical opening 50 in alignment with the opening til and carries a tapered pin 5l, adapted to cooperate with the edge of the opening $5 to serve as a valve to cut off communication between the cavity .1 land the opening 45. Suitable washers and packing will be applied to the screw 35 and the pin 5I to prevent leakage to the outside when under pressure,

The operation of the device is as follows:

When it is desired to iill the cylinder il from the gas supply, the cylinder is held in an upright position on the stand I3. The head i8 with the sealing disc 35 within it is screwed slightly off oi the nipple I3 to afford communication between the chamber deiined between the nipple i3 and the cylindrical chamber 20, this chamber being already in communication with the port te. During this time leakage is prevented by the washer il'.

|lhe frame 32 is now clamped in place with the gas hose screwed into the opening i3 and with the screw 35 turned inwardly to close off cornmunication between the cavity 4'! and the opena:

ing d5. Gas is now admitted to the hose 49 and the vaive 35 is screwed outwardly, whereupon the gas passes inwardly into the cavity lil, out through the opening 45, upwardly within the cylindrical chamber Z, past the end of the stud f i3 into the interior of the stud and downwardly into the cylinder.

The amount of ga-s will be registered upon the indicator i2 and when the desired quantity of gas is admitted, the valve 35 is closed and the f cylinder Ii is rotated to screw the stud i3 into the threaded portion I9 of the head, until the upper end of the stud I3 engages the soft rim 3l and completely shuts off the cylinder with a hermetic seal. When this is done, the gas from the supply is completely sealed at the opening ed and the gas within the cylinder is completely sealed by the sealing disc 36. The frame, therefore, may be taken oi and the cylinder removed and replaced by another cylinder to be iilled. rihe full cylinder will remain fully charged until disc is punctured.

In operation, when it is desired to use the gas within the container, the coupling 29 is screwed into the device to which the gas is to be fed thereafter. A slight turning of the container i i while the coupling 29 is held by its thread will cause the coupling to press upon the upper end of the nipple 223, thereby forcing the piercing tool 2d into the closing disc 36, permitting the gas from the container to pass upwardly through the central bore in the coupling.

Fig. e shows an alternative construction in which a conventional form of valve may be used to admit the fluid in substitution for the valve previously described. In this case the stud te is pivoted upon the frame 32 to which a valve casing 6I is screwed. This valve casing contains a valve 62 spring pressed against a valve seat t3 by a spring 64 which is here shown as released by a lever 65 operated by a handle 5G. t will be understood that this is a conventionalized showing only and within the broad aspects of the invention any conventional form 0f valve may be employed at this point if desired.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

llt'hat is claimed is:

1. A device for lling and emptying gas containers of the portable type comprising a stud attachable to the container, having a threaded portion and terminating in an upper end, a head screwed on to said threaded portion, having a recess containing a tightly tting sealing disc, said disc being positioned to be clamped against said upper end to seal the container, said head and said stud having coaxial openings therethrough separated by said disc, a port within said head at the upper end of said stud below said disc, connectors affording connection between a source of gas supply and said port, a gas valve within said connectors, a hollow piercing tool slidable within said coaxial opening in said head, a member movable with regard to said head for forcing said piercing tool through said disc and a connector communicating with the interior of said hollow piercing tool for connecting a gas consuming device.

cess containing a tightly fitting sealing disc, said disc being positioned to be clamped against said upper end to seal the container, said and head having coaxial openings therethrough se rated by said disc, a lateral port within. said hcL terminating at a point in communication i ih said upper end and :below said disc and ha" an exterior opening, a connector carried by head for connection between the coaxial opening in said head and a gas consuming device, a piercing tool slidable in said head and means for sliding said tool to pierce said disc, in combination with a frame having an inlet connector, a gas valve and an outlet port, said frame being shaped to be clamped about said head, with said outlet port in hermetic connection with said exterior opening, a clamping means for effecting such clamping.

4. A device according to claim 3 in which the means for operating said piercing tool comprises a cap screw connected to said head and having a shoulder engaging said piercing tool, a second shoulder upon said cap above the top edge of said head and a resilient packing between said cap and said head within a recess in said piercing tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

